Improvement in wagon-tongue suppoet



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0. LAPHAM, 0F EL PASO, ILLINOIS Letters Patent No. 69,227, datedSepfember 24, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-TONGUE SUPPORT.`

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that l', O. LAPHAM, of El Puso, in thecounty of Woodford,and State of Illinois, have invented anew and improved Wagcn-TongueSupport; and I dovherehy declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in theartfto make and use the same, reference being hud tothe accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specication, in which- Figure 1 is e topview of the hounds und tongue of a wagon with my improvement attached.

Figure '2 is a detail sectional -view of the same, takenrthrough theline:u n', g. I.

'Figure 3 is a detail sectional View of the same, teken through'the liney y, fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parte.

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved means forsupporting the tongue so as to relieve the horses from supporting itsentire weight,and it consists in theieombination ofnspring with the rearend ofthe tongue und with the hounds,k in the manner hereinafter morefully described. f

A is the forward axle, B is the bolster, C are the forward hounds, and Dis the tongue, about lthe construction of which parts there is nothingnew. is a spring, the ends of which are-connected to the hounds C bylinks a-nd eye-bolts, as shown in figs. 1, 2, und 3, or n any otherconvenient and substantial manner that will allow theneeessnry play tothe said spring. F is an arm or bar, the forward end of which is boltedor otherwise secured to the rear end of the tongue D, and its rear endis secured to the middle'part of the spring E', us shown in figs. I, 2,and 3. The spring E should he of' such :t strength und stiffness thatwhen released. from the neck-yoke or pole-straps its weight will hebnrelysulicient to bring it to the ground, so that the horses will haveto sustain a weight of" four or five pounds, sufficient to givesteadiness to the tonguewhen in use.

I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Putent- Y The combinationof the spring E with the rear end of the tongue D, and with t'he houndsC, substantially as herein shown and described, and for 'the purpose-set forth.

0. LAIHAM. Witnesses:

J. H. Moons, V. LAPHAM'.

